ESA’s BepiColombo Spacecraft Gives Us a Closer Look at Mercury for the Second Time

The European Space Agency’s BepiColombo spacecraft made its second flyby of Mercury, the cratered planet that is nearest the Sun. It managed to get within 200 kilomters (125 miles) above the planet’s surface, allowing it to capture the cratered surface. BepiColombo is set to perform a total of six such flybys around Mercury before entering its orbit in 2025.

BepiColombo utilized its low-resolution monitoring cameras that are mounted on the spacecraft’s transfer module to capture the image. Getting into orbit around Mercury isn’t the easiest of tasks, as the spacecraft first had to shed the orbital energy it was ‘born’ with as it launched from Earth, which meant it first flew in a similar orbit to Earth. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with this Tesla-powered 1949 Mercury Coupe.

LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery 10283 Build and Display Model for Adults, New 2021 (2,354 Pieces)

• Take a journey of exploration with this LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery (10283) model building kit for adults
• Enjoy hours of immersive building as you create both the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope from NASA’s 1990 STS-31 mission
• Check out all the authentic features, including the opening payload bay, retractable landing gear, opening cockpit, moving elevons, space arm, plus 5 seats for the crew
• The Hubble Space Telescope LEGO build features movable solar panels and a hatch door, just like on the real thing
• Looking for the best gifts for adults who love a creative project? This space shuttle model will appeal to space enthusiasts and anyone wanting an immersive building challenge, making it a great gift

Even during fleeting flybys these science ‘grabs’ are extremely valuable. We get to fly our world-class science laboratory through diverse and unexplored parts of Mercury’s environment that we won’t have access to once in orbit, while also getting a head start on preparations to make sure we will transition into the main science mission as quickly and smoothly as possible,” said Johannes Benkhoff, ESA’s BepiColombo project scientist.